Not too long ago, while waiting to pick up my coffee, I overheard a conversation a Starbucks barista was having with a customer about movies. The customer was enthusiastically into pretty much all kinds of movies, but particularly post-apocalyptic films.

The barista perked up at mention of this genre, saying, “Yeah, I appreciate those kinds of films because they’re really about the human condition.”

“Yeah, totally. Like, how would you survive a zombie attack?”

Judging by the look on the barista’s face, I’d say it’s a safe bet to guess that’s not what he meant. I’d put my money on something in the ballpark of this or that.

Genres like sci-fi can use devices like Cylons to explore deeper questions about what it means to be human. That, and the awesome outer space pew-pew-pew fights.

. . . . .

There’s something so creepy about abandoned amusement parks:

[I’m not 100% sure who to credit for the photo below: I found it via a search for “abandoned roller coasters”]